Paddington

Director Paul King (Bunny & the Bull) could have betrayed the essence of Michael Bond's much-loved character by modernising the setting and plot, but, have no fear, Paddington is a class act. After a prologue set in darkest Peru, the eponymous young bear (beautifully voiced by Ben Whishaw) moves into the west London household of the Brown family (led by parents Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins). Although mishaps aplenty soon ensue, Paddington eventually wins their affections. But can they keep him safe from the clutches of a mysterious, stiletto-heeled taxidermist (Nicole Kidman) who's hellbent on adding his hide to a collection at the Natural History Museum? While children will break out in fits of giggles over the well-timed slapstick sequences, adults will probably relish the wink-wink grown-up jokes and sly visual references to film-makers such as Wes Anderson and Jacques Demy. At its heart, though, this is a thrillingly, lovingly, deeply British film, as comforting as Christmas pantomimes, double-decker buses and hot milky tea.